The Robinsons

Friday September 30, New Orleans

This family was living in shelters since Katrina. The picture doesn't show all eight children. See that small house that they all live in? A team of us cleaned it up; we went there with them the first time since the storm. We had to break-in because a friend had locked the door with a chain to prevent looting. They didn't get flood damage but the roof had broken because it was rotten. With all respect to the family, they were poor. "Jesus said blessed are the poor... " You may say, "Brett, you didn't finish that passage correctly..." But when was the last time Jesus talked about how important THINGS were? Things get ruined by floods. Winds. By trees falling on them. But check out these pictures of these kids.

They were glad to be back home. Some of you remember being poor and what it was like when you finally got over letting someone help you. The Robinsons were keeping appliances worse than the ones we had been throwing away in other places. But Ray has his own business of hauling and he should have plenty of work coming up in the months to come.

A brother and sister from Ohio gave them their van. I told Mrs. Robinson that the way God works is that he blesses us and expects us to return the blessings to others. That any time that she sees someone that needs help, remember that her van was God's chariot, to be used for good. That's easy for me to preach when I know the value of that minivan, but often don't know the value of my own gifts that God gave me. God, I pray to be a shrewd manager of every THING, every thought, every idea, every talent, every resource you give away so freely.

I don't mean to be preachery writing this blog, but the pictures are worth many words, but not even words can express the blessings of being able to help people and ask them just to thank God in return. I wish you could all be here.